Comparatively low voltage (i.e., less than about 500 mV) operation of electro-optic devices, such as but not limited to electro-optic modulator devices, is an important predicate and avenue that may provide for future bandwidth needs within the context of integration of electro-optic devices and nanoelectronic devices. In particular, an operating voltage of a silicon electro-optic device may desirably scale aggressively as a rail voltage (Vdd) for a related digital silicon nanoelectronic device scales to 600 mV in future anticipated complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology platforms.
In addition, a low voltage swing modulation scheme for an electro-optic modulator device can significantly reduce a total transmitter energy and footprint within an electro-optic circuit that includes the electro-optic modulator device by reducing a drive electronic component complexity in comparison with a drive electronic component complexity for an electro-optic circuit that includes an electro-optic modulator device predicated upon a comparatively high voltage swing modulation scheme.
In accordance with the above, it is thus of great interest to pursue low operating voltage electro-optic devices that are silicon semiconductor material fabrication compatible. Therefore, desirable within the electro-optic structure art and the electro-optic device art are electro-optic structures, methods for fabricating electro-optic structures, methods for operating electro-optic devices that derive from the electro-optic structures and related apparatus that include the electro-optic structures, wherein in particular the electro-optic structures provide for efficient operation of the electro-optic devices at comparatively low operating voltages.